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She glanced down, spotted the soccer ball, and made an attempt to steal it from me. Soccer was one of our favorite pastimes. It was a passion that had been instilled in us from a young age, and I took pride in being pretty darn good at it. We’d spend hours on the field, the exhilaration of the game filling our veins as we chased after the ball.
“Stop him, Edmund!” Victoria called out to my brother, who was acting as the goalie.
I picked up the pace, dodging past Victoria with ease and kicking the ball toward the goal post. Edmund was quick to react, his eyes following my every move as I approached him. I faked left, then right, before finally kicking the ball toward the goal post.
Edmund jumped, his fingers barely grazing the ball as it soared past him and into the net. I threw my arms up in victory, shouting at the top of my lungs as my siblings cheered me on.
“That’s game!” I declared, walking over to Victoria with a grin on my face. She was panting, sweat glistening on her forehead as she tried to catch her breath.
“Nice try, sis,” I said, patting her on the back. “Maybe next time.”
She rolled her eyes at me, then broke into a smile. “Yeah, yeah. You got lucky.”
I laughed and ruffled her hair. “Luck had nothing to do with it. I’ve got to go make some calls. Duty calls.”
I went into my dad’s office, which we were sharing, and sat down to take care of some business calls before we left tomorrow. I supposed it was going to be a little vacation from all the business I was stuck with.
That night, it was time to start packing. I still couldn’t believe we were leaving tomorrow. It was crazy to think my life was going to be changing starting tomorrow.
I couldn’t help but wonder about the woman I was meant to marry, the one who would stand by my side for the rest of my life. She was a stranger to me, someone I had never met, and yet, in a matter of weeks, she would become an integral part of my life.
It was a very different approach to marriage than what most of my American friends were used to. They would never understand why we married people we didn’t know without putting up much of a fight. Marrying a stranger was something that went out of fashion a long time ago, but not for families like mine.
With a sigh, I walked to the window, gazing out at the moonlit night. I really hoped the woman I was supposed to be married to liked to laugh. I felt like I could get along and be happy with just about anyone if they laughed a lot. Looks were important, but I was more about enjoying life. I didn’t want to take things too seriously.
“Theo?”
I turned to see Jack standing in the doorway with a garment bag draped over his arm. “I thought I would help you pack.”
“Thank you. I guess I’m still a child when it comes to this stuff. I would show up in England with eight shirts and no underwear.”
He chuckled. “We don’t want that.”
We started opening drawers and piling stuff on the bed. Jack usually packed for me. That was something else I needed to think about. When I got married, would I still get to have my manservant?
“How are you feeling about everything, Theo?”
I paused, considering his question carefully. “It’s a mix of emotions,” I replied. “There’s the anticipation of Wed season, the prospect of new responsibilities, and the unknown of what lies ahead. The idea of being married is scary. I want to fall in love with the woman I’ll spend my life with. I know our relationships aren’t exactly conventional, but I do hope we can find love.”
Jack nodded, his expression sympathetic. He had always been the one I could confide in, the person who understood the weight of the expectations placed upon myself and my siblings.
“Have you met the woman?”
“Not that I remember,” I said. “I’m sure we’ve crossed paths, but I don’t remember her.”
“Do you know the family?”
“I’ve only heard some rumors about the Hansen family,” I admitted. “It seems they’re facing some financial struggles, particularly with their estates like we researched the other night.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “And what do you think that means for you?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Well, you know I’ve been working with my dad managing the estate. We’ve bought properties that were in rough shape. Dad let me work on rehabbing them.”
“Then this will be easy for you,” he said. “But I guess I’m confused as to why your parents would want to shackle themselves with what is going to be a financial drain.”
“It’s the oldest reason in the book,” I said, smiling. “We scratch their back and they scratch ours. We make sure they have the money needed to get their affairs in order. I can use my experience to help identify why they ended up in their financial predicament. In exchange, they can offer us titles and royalty, which would undoubtedly strengthen our family’s position.”
He nodded. “Your parents have certainly been making big moves.”
